


Valentine's Day is a cliché,  but it is our cliché.

by GranadaCtonica



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Animal Kwami, F/M, GabeNath Covert Cupid, Pet Kwami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GranadaCtonica/pseuds/GranadaCtonica
Summary: Happy Valentine Roni!This work is part of the event "Gabenath Covert Cupid" by "Gabenath Book Club and Art Club"
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21
Collections: GabeNath Book Club and Art Club Server, GabeNath Covert Cupid 2021





	Valentine's Day is a cliché,  but it is our cliché.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine Roni!  
> This work is part of the event "Gabenath Covert Cupid" by "Gabenath Book Club and Art Club"

Gabriel, whether it was the man or the brand which gave his name to, had built a very solid reputation within society and the fashion industry. Its mere mention or allusion evoked quite common feelings in each individual and highlighted professionalism, neatness and style. Even their workshops were followed by the law of order and extreme cleanliness to create quality work. Gone are the chaotic days of strewn fabrics and floors full of sketches and inspiration. Creative minds are prone to disorder, but he was no longer a young bohemian who lived of small pleasures and dreams in the form of impossible designs, full of expectations and creative explosions; and while he still had that impossible touch in his creations, his life had taken a turn to luxurious and sophisticated comfort, or insultingly quirky, there was practically no middle ground.

And who in the whole world could balance their standards and schemes but her? Discretion had been his virtue and he wasn't afraid that his longing might be discovered due to the fact that his touchscreen monitor was as respected as it was safe, but more than once he felt the urge to make prints and tape them to the frame.

Photographs. 

Old scanned and recent digital snapshots of Gabriel and Nathalie, some of them recent with Adrien, filled the folder with moments from them over the years or sessions of pure artistic inspiration (perhaps with an extra glass) that had served to fill his soul, canvases and mannequins when it was just the two of them in a gloomy little studio filled with the warmth that two kindred souls create when they are together.

⌛

Their gazes meet and they smile with youthful embarrassment that stains their cheeks with a resplendent blush, each on one side of a room that seems very large and very long at times, but they cannot deny that the views are idyllic without disrupting the workflow that their working minds cling to. 

The day is cloudy and calm, perfect for creating the designs of the coming season. If you open the windows, the smell of petrichor from the morning rain would enter, but the high wind is fresh and Nathalie is carrying out the paperwork, taking advantage of the fact that it is Sunday and Adrien will be eating with his friends, to rehearse with his group during the afternoon.

When observing her, Gabriel doesn’t understand how he has been so lucky to find a kindred soul who has remained by his side for so many years, practically a lifetime, being the support he longed for and the critical voice he needed. There was a long time when he thought he was to blame for his parents' rejection and his wife's absence, instead of seeing them as the unfortunate clashes of different minds that they had been. The consequent pain was not so serious because his small and particular family was the only thing he needed to move forward.

Watching him, Nathalie wondered what caused her to never want to leave this man’s side. A normal person wouldn't go beyond overtime and help with favors to the Agreste junior even with him being too adorable and innocent for his own good, but there it was. When the brand took off and the Agrestes occupied the mansion, her apartment began to miss her strongly; a few years later she had completely moved out. He was a brilliant mind as well as demanding and a perfectionist, but he was also tender. In the best and worst moments she had seen an affection and an understanding that melted her armor.

⌛

At what point they began to see each other with these new eyes is difficult to locate. They quickly hit it off in their youth, two great intellectual minds with compatible interests and united by the goal of achieving success in their professionalism. There was always a mix of harmless flirtation between pranks and private challenges, but each time one considered the possibility of taking another step, another person or interest backed off the inadvertent advance. They ventured into a difficult undertaking in which they were on the verge of giving up, and in it they reached the top thanks to the support and joint effort between cups of coffee and takeout food. They had their friendship, that was the most important of all.

Sharing the couch at lunchtime, the work of nearly two decades weighs down like never before with his ex-wife's absence so recent and so unexpected. 

Slowly, the fingers of one caress the other's and they respond with the same affection. The house is silent. A smile follows a laugh and they look into each other's eyes with bright pupils.

The coffee gets cold in their cups; their hearts warm in a new way.

⌛

The kiss is soft and slow. Warm, above all. Time stopped just for them and they were granted a few seconds as a gift when their lips parted and they looked at each other tenderly. Nathalie snuggled into Gabriel's embrace as he caressed her cheeks as if they were made of the most delicate silk.

⌛

Nathalie caresses Gabriel's face as she sings in whispers, delighting in the touch of his stubble and the calm gray gaze. In turn, Gabriel delights in the softness of the black and red hair spilled over the pillow. The alarm clock had gone off a long time ago, but the heat that entered through the window that was still closed, was too tempting to linger, especially when an alien arm surrounds your waist and a hoarse voice begs you for a few more minutes.

A lifetime of strict schedules and tight schedules had passed into a past life. There was nothing and no one above them, they had all the time in the world.

⌛

When Gabriel Agreste wants something, he doesn't stop until he gets it; but when Adrien wants it, he has it immediately. The teenager entered with Duusu perched on his shoulder, singing a high-pitched, sing-song chirp. His companion parrot, Nooroo, flew straight to Gabriel's chair as the kitten Plagg searched for a delicacy and snorted at not finding it.

The dining room table, long as it is, is full of magazines, paper clips, clippings and pages full of wedding ideas while waiting for the acclaimed date. And what day seems more propitious than February 14? Fiancé and fiancee look at each other dumbfounded when an emotional Adrien offers them the paper confirming the reserved date.

That the date was free had not been entirely by chance, but it was a secret among the young Agreste-Burgeoius.

⌛

For the first time, and who knows if the last, the couple is matching each other with white suits instead of complementing the ying of their yang, but the occasion deserves it. The groom's elegant jacket has a silver butterfly pattern common in his designs, but the subtle reflection in purples and violets is a nod to the usual color Nathalie wears. How could it be otherwise, the bride is stunning and modern fashion emanates strongly from the two-piece suit with a long tail, where the pattern of blue and pink feathers sparkles with movement and light.

At the party, she only takes a sip of champagne and wine for the toast, she doesn’t dare to try more, but she doesn’t skimp with the food. The following hours pass between turns, laughter and repetitive and funny dances of popular memory. At some point the small veil, a tie and even a jacket are lost.

Nathalie closes the door to the large window behind her and the music echoes. As she rests one hand on the marble railing and gazes up at the night sky, the other arm surrounds her belly with protective tenderness. A few minutes later, the muted music returns to its splendor to fade again in a few seconds, just before feeling a thick fabric on her shoulders.

She leaned on her husband and allowed herself to be carried away by the soft out-of-balance sway, letting him cradle the very slight beginning roundness of her belly.


End file.
